Pics: Sunil Haleangady

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 28: The leopard that had been giving sleepless nights to the people living in Mulky revenue division in the taluk for the last nearly 18 months was finally found to have been stuck in a trap at Elinje Shuntipady hillock near Kinnigoli.

On Friday February 27 morning, a person named Annu Moolya saw that the leopard was struggling after getting trapped in a web-like formation created by roots of some trees on a hillock near the house of Sharat Shetty. He conveyed this information to locals, after which police station and range forest office were contacted. Kinnigoli forest officer contacted Moodbidri range forest officer, G D Dinesh, about steps to be taken.

The Moodbidri range forest officer arrived at the spot along with anesthetist and veterinarian from Pilikula Nisargadhama. The leopard was then administered with tranquilizers before shifting it to a cage. The leopard was then transported to Pilikula. Dr Dileep, Dr Vikram, and forest officials were involved with this operation.

The leopard was for the first time, sighted at Ulepady along with two of its cubs, Thereafter it was seen in over a dozen areas in the region on different occasions. A number of small domestic animals had disappeared thereafter from the region. It is thought that the leopard fed on them. So far it has not troubled the humans.

The cubs, which would have grown up now, have not been seen ever since. The officials in the forest department opine that they would have migrated to forests nearer to this area.